By Cesca Anderson

The effects of this years (2008) first Mercury retrograde began on the 25th of January; the very day I was preparing this websites’ predecessor for the February newsletter. Needless to say, I was not to come through this retrograde period unscathed. My entire site building package went inexplicably haywire, much gnashing of teeth and tugging at hair ensued and eventually, coming off second best, I was forced to send the newsletter out via email. And it didn’t end there either, there was no going back, no fixing the website, it was time to redo, from scratch, in a different way.

Welcome to Mercury Retrograde, it’s not to say that every time this little planet appears to be travelling backwards through our skies this is going to be the case, but if ever something like that is set to happen, chances are it will happen during this particular astrological occurrence.

Mercury Retrograde is the perfect time for anything that begins with the letters ‘re’, and since I spent the entire month of February re-doing the website, I though it fitting to include an article on this phenomenon with the first newsletter to go up on the new site.

What is Mercury Retrograde?

The planet, whose movements are said to influence communication here below, was named for the Roman God Mercury. He was known as Hermes to the Greeks, and as a trickster, along with being the famed winged Messenger of the Gods. Early astronomers named this particular planet for him because of its speed and elusiveness.

Around about three times a year, Mercury appears to be travelling backwards in our skies. This is an optical illusion caused by the planet slowing down in its orbit around the sun; the effect is similar to driving alongside a slow moving train. The train although moving forward; will appear to be travelling backwards to people in the faster moving car.

During these periods, communication on all levels generally becomes unreliable, whether it is phone lines going down, email’s being lost, computers crashing or misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people in conversation. Travel arrangements made during Mercury retrograde periods are more prone to mishaps and the signing of contracts is strongly advised against by those in the astrological know.

Generally Mercury Retrograde gets very bad press because of the inconveniences it causes in our lives, people who know about the phenomenon can often be heard muttering under their breath that “Mercury must be on the blink” again when things start going wrong. But with an understanding of this event, you can work with it rather that against it, and come out the other end better off than before.

Think of this as a time where any word beginning with ‘mis’ is more likely, and anything beginning with ‘re’ is something you should be doing. These are the three or so times during the year where you should be taking some time out to reflect, rethink, re-evaluate and redo things that are not quite up to scratch, or things you have been putting off getting the way as they should be, whether it's to do with yourself, your relationships, your life in general or your website…

Mercury in your Birth Chart

To find Mercury in an astrological natal chart, look for the mercury symbol on the chart. Mercury always travels close to the Sun, so it will either be in the same sign or the one immediately before or after it.

If you see an “R” next to a planet on your birth chart it means that that planet was in retrograde at the time of your birth. So, if you were born during a Mercury Retrograde period, you may tend to be more reflective and introverted, with a penchant for mulling things over more than most before coming to decisions or drawing conclusions. Depending on which Zodiac sign your Mercury is in this could also give you an interest in the past and a powerful memory. The keywords associated with this aspect on a natal chart would be: intelligence, language, communication, memory, expression, and the mind.

The Meaning of Mercury in Astrology

Mercury concerns the mind, and your sign and house position influences the mysterious way you put it all together up there. It determines how you make sense of your world, formulate ideas and share them with others. Your speech patterns, communication style, sense of humour, quickness of thought – all these are flavoured by the position of your Mercury.

Which element your Mercury is in, is a good starting point for understanding your particular type of intelligence. Mercury is at home in the air signs, which lean toward rational and logical thinking. In fire signs, Mercury is quick, instinctive and inspirational. Water signs give the mind an intuitive and emotional filter, while Mercury in the earth signs tends to be pragmatic and concrete.

In Greek mythology, Mercury as Hermes, messenger of the gods, has one foot in the physical world and another in the realm of the unseen. Likewise, your Mercury crosses mental boundaries into the mysteries of the imagination and the memories of the past. In the fertile landscape of the mind, your Mercury harvests and interprets your personal experience of life.

Knowing your Mercury sign can help you understand and maximize your imaginative potential. It may reveal why you aren’t always on the same wavelength with others, and offer clues to sharing your unique gifts of expression. The aspects your Mercury makes with other planets may explain quirks in your manner of speaking, such as being defensive, chatty, eloquent, emotional, etc. Since the mind can be its own house of mirrors, this also can show a mind drawn to illusions or to playing games with others.

In the infinite variety of life, Mercury determines your fascinations, what kinds of puzzles you’ll want to work out, where you’d like to focus your mind power. Mercury’s influence on how you think can steer your career path, since you’ll likely be drawn to areas in which your mind thrives and excels.

In relationships of all kinds, frictions and confusion can arise when Mercury clashes. For example, an earth sign Mercury may raise an eyebrow at the air sign whose abstract notions seem out of this world. But put two air signs together, and speech resumes at the speed of light. Knowing the tone and timbre of a person’s Mercury can sometimes bridge the gap of understanding.

Mercury Retrograde Periods 2009 - 2015